Wednesday, June 17, 2015

I get inundated with emails from retailers asking me to blog about new products that are about to be launched, or new promotional campaigns. I tend not because I don't want to bombard my readers or turn my blog into a merely commercial site and I am often not particularly excited by the products themselves. Today, however, I am excited. Firstly NetDecor has added a new furniture range to their online store which really does appeal to me. It is a beautiful collection and I am definitely adding a few of these to my wish list! If you want to know more, or want to buy any of these gorgeous items, visit NetDecor here.

Secondly, Cotton On, that fabulous shop where all our teenagers buy their clothes, have collaborated with another iconic Australian brand, Mark Tuckey, to create a homewares collection that makes modern and effortless design accessible and fun for everyone.

Launching online on Friday 3 July 2015 and in select Cotton On stores from Wednesday 8 July 2015, the collection is Cotton On's first foray into the homeware market.

The collection features beautifully designed pieces for various areas of the home categorised by Eat, Drink, Relax, Store, Bathe and Sleep. The range includes bed linen, cushions, blankets and throws, wooden serving bowls, platters, ceramic storage jars and mugs, wooden chopping boards and general storage vessels.

Take a look at these gorgeous advertising pictures and I guarantee you will be shopping there alongside me!

The collection will be available online at www.cottonon.com from Friday 3 July 2015 and in select Cotton On stores in South Africa from 8 July 2015. The stores include: Eastgate, Gateway, Sandton, Canal Walk, Pavilion, Cresta, Cavendish, Clearwater, Brooklyn, Rosebank and V&A Waterfront

Saturday, June 6, 2015

I haven't blogged for a while. Some of you (including my husband) might find it hard to believe, but I just couldn't think of anything to say. I was, you could say, an empty vessel. A bit like my teenage children. (Don't worry, they don't read my blog so their self esteem will remain intact.) I sat at my desk for a few days, waiting for inspiration to strike....nothing! So I did what any sensible person would do in this situation.....

I re-organised my desk.

I'm not talking about filing or catching up on admin here.... that would be far too productive!

No, I'm talking about finding a nice container for my pens, finding
another matching container for my scissors, finding yet another pretty
container that matched the other 2 and then having to think of something
to put in it! This was important stuff I was dealing with!

I then had to find a suitable tray to contain the
containers! Then I needed to find a suitably attractive box to house all
the paperwork that needs to be filed. (It probably would have been
quicker to actually do the filing). Finally I needed to acquire some
cute notebooks to write down all the blogging ideas that I would think
of when I wasn't so busy re-organising my desk.

Not content to leave it at that, I then needed to cut some flowers and greenery from my garden to put in a vase. Find another vessel for my paperclips. Realise that my multi-coloured paperclips didn't suit the colour scheme, so had to sort through them and pick out the matching colours. I did mention that this was important stuff here. Other people can waste their time faffing about with world peace etc.

While in the midst of this frenzy, I had a revelation .... why not do a blog post about prettying up your desk.

So if you are battling to find inspiration for a project or just feel like putting off some boring paperwork, try a little desk refurbishing. It might be just what you need.

You could go the route of pretty and feminine...

....refined minimalism...

...sophisticated bling...

....classic elegance...

....modern rustic....

...gorgeous glamour...

....monochrome magic...

...coastal chic...

...industrial edge...

...garden green...

...a touch of the tropics...

... or verdant vintage.

However, if none of these push your buttons and your desk looks more like this....

...don't despair. Take heart in these words by Albert Einstein —

'If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?'

About Me

I am married with four sons. We live in beautiful Cape Town, South Africa. Interior decorating and design has been my passion for as long as I can remember. I am also an incurable Francophile, enjoy good food and fine wine (actually any wine is fine with me) and generally living well.